Almost ready to buy my first pistol, need some advice.

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Bodain

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Hey everyone, new member here.

I'm getting ready to buy my first pistol, and I'm seeking some advice.

I think I want to go .40SW or .45ACP and I've been tossing the idea of a Beretta 96 A1 or HK45 around in my head.

I'm open to other suggestions, (or reasons why I might want to go with a different caliber).

I'll mostly be using it for occasional plinking and home defense if need be.

Although this is my first pistol purchase, I'm not entirely new to pistols. I'm an ex-reservist and have used the 9mm Browning many times, so I'm not completely in the dark. lol


Thanks for taking the time to read, and make recommendations!

Happy shooting everyone! :cool:
 
Buy what you want from the start! Both are good pistols and if you reload ammo is really about the same pricewise. Its best if you can hold them side by side sometimes things you see online dont fit the best at home. I like a straight grip so guns like the Glock and Ruger mark III dont work all that well for me.

Im not going to talk you out of it. Lots of people will say get a .22 and they are right everyone needs one too.
 
I highly recommend you go with 9mm for your first handgun. It is much cheaper to shoot(both factory and handloads) which will allow you to shoot more and thus improve your skills more quickly. It also offers considerably lower recoil compared to your other choices which will help you with your follow through and allow you to overcome any flinch more easily.

Another thing to consider is steel frame vs polymer frame. A light weight polymer framed handgun is often much harder to get proficient with compared to the steel framed High Power you are used to. Just something to consider.
 
IanC said:
Buy what you want from the start! Both are good pistols and if you reload ammo is really about the same pricewise. Its best if you can hold them side by side sometimes things you see online dont fit the best at home. I like a straight grip so guns like the Glock and Ruger mark III dont work all that well for me.

Im not going to talk you out of it. Lots of people will say get a .22 and they are right everyone needs one too.
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I've had a few people suggest 9mm for the first pistol for those exact reasons listed above, cheaper, less recoil, etc., but I feel like I really want some extra oomph lol

Seems like 9mm is about $2 cheaper a box than .40SW, and .40SW is about $6 a box cheaper than .45ACP. That big jump to .45ACP has got me thinking....

Tachead said:
I highly recommend you go with 9mm for your first handgun. It is much cheaper to shoot(both factory and handloads) which will allow you to shoot more and thus improve your skills more quickly. It also offers considerably lower recoil compared to your other choices which will help you with your follow through and allow you to overcome any flinch more easily.

Another thing to consider is steel frame vs polymer frame. A light weight polymer framed handgun is often much harder to get proficient with compared to the steel framed High Power you are used to. Just something to consider.
Click to expand...


I'm not too concerned with recoil tbh...

I've fired some pretty large pistols without flinching (.44mag, .45-70) without issues. I'm not a small guy. :)


Thanks for the replies, gents! Maybe I'll take a second look at the Beretta 92....
 
Get a proper 1911 in .45 with some 10-rd mags (more firepower plus they look cool ha). Near universal ergos, steel frame for stability, usable for range/comp/defence, and should hold value over time. They still make em after a century for good reason.

2 cents
 
You're gonna pay 100$ more per case of 1000 if you go .40 instead of 9mm. You can basically get 3000rnds of 9mm for the price of 2000rnds of .40. To me it isn't worth it. I get more range trips and more practice by sticking to 9. But I'm not a huge fan of .40S&W, or .45ACP for that matter.

I prefer 9x19 as my daily driver, maximizing the amount of range trips I can do, and then .357 Sig or 10mm as occasional toys. But I live close to my range and shoot pistol 2-3 nights per week. If you only have the time to get to the range occasionally, the price difference may not matter to you...
 
What's your budget?
I have a Ruger SR 1911 in 45ACP and a S&W M&P 2.0 in 9mm that are really fun to shoot. CZ's are a nice pistol as well. As mentioned above go with what turns your crank!
 
Get a glock 35 and a conversion barrel to 9mm. The 35 feels like a 1911, .40sw and converts to 9mm easily. Best of everything.

Corey
 
SteelFlint said:
Get a proper 1911 in .45 with some 10-rd mags (more firepower plus they look cool ha). Near universal ergos, steel frame for stability, usable for range/comp/defence, and should hold value over time. They still make em after a century for good reason.

2 cents
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I was considering a 1911. I like the Springfield arms 1911 especially. Do you have any suggestion of brand??

Wal-Mart Greeter said:
You're gonna pay 100$ more per case of 1000 if you go .40 instead of 9mm. You can basically get 3000rnds of 9mm for the price of 2000rnds of .40. To me it isn't worth it. I get more range trips and more practice by sticking to 9. But I'm not a huge fan of .40S&W, or .45ACP for that matter.

I prefer 9x19 as my daily driver, maximizing the amount of range trips I can do, and then .357 Sig or 10mm as occasional toys. But I live close to my range and shoot pistol 2-3 nights per week. If you only have the time to get to the range occasionally, the price difference may not matter to you...
Click to expand...

Hmm, I didn't realize the price per round was that different. Thought it was more like $0.07-0.10 per round difference. That's something I'll have to take into consideration.

8x68 said:
What's your budget?
I have a Ruger SR 1911 in 45ACP and a S&W M&P 2.0 in 9mm that are really fun to shoot. CZ's are a nice pistol as well. As mentioned above go with what turns your crank!
Click to expand...

I'd like to keep it under $1500 all said and done. Seems like there's lots of nice pistols in the $1000-1200 range that would tickle my fancy.

Snider shooter said:
Your problem is easily solved, get both.
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I need to get ONE first... lol But I'll be buying more in no time.

CoreyMac said:
Get a glock 35 and a conversion barrel to 9mm. The 35 feels like a 1911, .40sw and converts to 9mm easily. Best of everything.

Corey
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Not a fan of Glocks. Nothing against the practicality, or composition, I just don't like the look or feel of them. Thanks for the input though.
 
Bodain said:
I've fired some pretty large pistols without flinching
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Not likely, unless you only fired them once. Many of us have been shooting pistols for a very long time and flinch mitigation is one of the hardest things to master. If all you do is learn to manage your flinch you'll become a better shooter than 80% of the people here.

My advice, get a 9mm and shoot it a lot.
 
For 1911s I have a preference for Dan Wessons... but yeah a Colt Gold Cup or Springfield Operator are both excellent options in the $1,500 range.
 
4n2t0 said:
My advice, get a 9mm and shoot it a lot.
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That's good advice, above. :cool:

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NAA.
 
8x68 said:
Not a calibre you mentioned but how about a 10mm? Ruger makes a decent semi. Springfield Armory has come out with one. Supposed to be in Canada in the fall. Would love to see a CZ in 10mm. I keep bugging CZ at the booking show but no dice yet.
Shooterschoice.ca has a Ruger: https://shooterschoice.ca/product/ruger-sr1911-10-mm/
Price is tax in so not a bad deal.
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Hmmm I hadn't really considered a 10mm. Seems like oodles of stopping power, $32\box of 50 is a little higher but still not terrible. Thanks for the info.

4n2t0 said:
Not likely, unless you only fired them once. Many of us have been shooting pistols for a very long time and flinch mitigation is one of the hardest things to master. If all you do is learn to manage your flinch you'll become a better shooter than 80% of the people here.

My advice, get a 9mm and shoot it a lot.
Click to expand...

I've been shooting rifles since I was 4 years old, not the same but not that different either. Slow squeeze, and let it "surprise" you... works for me. I'm sure I still have some flinch, but I was able to shoot pretty consistently back in my service days.

Gundoggy said:
Do you have preference for capability for Cocked and Locked vs. Double action??
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I do not. Not going to be carrying it concealed, so no real worries about accidental discharge.

SteelFlint said:
For 1911s I have a preference for Dan Wessons... but yeah a Colt Gold Cup or Springfield Operator are both excellent options in the $1,500 range.
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I'll have to check out the Dan Wessons, not sure I've seen them before.

NAA said:
That's good advice, above. :cool:
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I've been hearing this a lot. I didn't really want to go 9mm, but I'm reconsidering based solely on the sheer number of people recommending them.
 
Bodain said:
Hey everyone, new member here.

I'm getting ready to buy my first pistol, and I'm seeking some advice.

I think I want to go .40SW or .45ACP and I've been tossing the idea of a Beretta 96 A1 or HK45 around in my head.

I'm open to other suggestions, (or reasons why I might want to go with a different caliber).

I'll mostly be using it for occasional plinking and home defense if need be.

Although this is my first pistol purchase, I'm not entirely new to pistols. I'm an ex-reservist and have used the 9mm Browning many times, so I'm not completely in the dark. lol


Thanks for taking the time to read, and make recommendations!

Happy shooting everyone! :cool:
Click to expand...

Sig Sauer 1911 Tacops. 45ACP or 9mm

Then buy a Sig Sauer .22LR slide for even cheaper ammo.
 
Bodain said:
Hmm, I didn't realize the price per round was that different. Thought it was more like $0.07-0.10 per round difference. That's something I'll have to take into consideration.
Click to expand...

If you buy in bulk you can get 9mm for as low as 0.23$ but .40S&W is around 0.35$ (eliminating steel/aluminum case and re-manufactured ammo from the equation).

Assuming you don't get into reloading right away, and you buy in bulk rather than by the individual box, you get a lot more shooting per dollar by choosing 9mm. I'm not advocating for 9mm as the greatest pistol caliber, I'm just saying it makes the best financial sense for a first pistol if you aren't totally green (skipping .22LR) and want to get the most time in at the range. Again, if you're only going to shoot occasionally and plan to buy individual boxes at Canadian Tire each range trip, this isn't as great of a concern.
 
GuiltySpark said:
Sig Sauer 1911 Tacops. 45ACP or 9mm

Then buy a Sig Sauer .22LR slide for even cheaper ammo.
Click to expand...
#### me, that's a nice 1911! I like that a lot! Thanks for the tip.

Wal-Mart Greeter said:
If you buy in bulk you can get 9mm for as low as 0.23$ but .40S&W is around 0.35$ (eliminating steel/aluminum case and re-manufactured ammo from the equation).

Assuming you don't get into reloading right away, and you buy in bulk rather than by the individual box, you get a lot more shooting per dollar by choosing 9mm. I'm not advocating for 9mm as the greatest pistol caliber, I'm just saying it makes the best financial sense for a first pistol if you aren't totally green (skipping .22LR) and want to get the most time in at the range. Again, if you're only going to shoot occasionally and plan to buy individual boxes at Canadian Tire each range trip, this isn't as great of a concern.
Click to expand...

I don't plan on reloading right away, I'll probably just buy 1000rnds at a time...

Definitely not interested in .22LR for now....

I've got to say though, I've always wanted a Five-seven... something about it is so exotic and cool. Not super interested in the $2000 price tag though :D
 
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